Colours of Dusk

by AlphatheGriffin17

The Strength to Endure

The moment they were escorted to the throne room, Twilight teleported half way through her gallop and flung herself into their waiting hug. They stayed like that for almost a minute, holding each other while tears of relief and suppressed stress poured down the newest princess's face.

"Let it all out, sugar, it's alright," said Applejack. "We're here now, it's gonna be jus' fine."

"Yes… yes, it will." Twilight hiccupped and stood back. "I'm so glad you're all okay."

"Not all of us," Fluttershy muttered. Dusk flinched at her tone, but nopony noticed it.

"I know, I… I'm sorry, Fluttershy." Twilight gave her another hug. "We'll get him back."

It wasn't clear if Fluttershy completely believed that or not. Her features were still morose and her eyes kept flickering to Dusk. When they did, the resentment was obvious. This wasn't missed by Twilight.

"What's happened? What's going on?" She looked to her fiancé. "Did something else happen?"

Dusk went to speak, but hesitated. After already enduring the reactions of the others, he'd been dreading telling Twilight the same news. He had hoped to discuss it with her privately at least, but he had a feeling that wasn't going to happen. Rarity's next words confirmed it.

"I'm sorry, darling, but either you tell her or we will."

"Tell me what?" Twilight's expression hardened. "Dusk, if you're about to tell me you've been keeping something important to yourself again…"

"Um… w-well, not as such but-"

"No, no buts. Just tell me. I've already had enough secrets kept from me today and I don't need it from you as well."

He gulped and in a halting, quivering voice, he told her what he'd failed to before. The same thing he'd failed to tell the others and what it had cost them. He could hardly look at her while he did, focusing on her hooves instead. On the few times he did chance a look, her expression was stony and stern.

The silence lingered for a very long while when he was finished. It probably wasn't that long, but for Dusk it felt like an eternity. He heard her take a few, calming breaths whilst performing the hoof motions she'd picked up from Cadence.

"Dusk…" She let out a sigh. "We'll talk about this later. I think you know what you should have done, so I'm not going to repeat what I'm sure you've already heard. You should have known better."

That was almost worse than if she'd lost her temper completely. Dusk could hear the disappointment in her voice. He nodded quietly and followed the group into the throne room. Sombra offered a sympathetic look as they walked through into a meeting room behind the thrones themselves.

The curtains around the windows were drawn, the light being provided by magical lamps and in the centre table, a map was laid out. They also weren't the only ones present. Spike gave them all hugs too, with Trixie checking quietly on Doom. A look of silent understanding passed between them and they gathered around. Surprisingly, Samore was also present, gazing imperiously at the lot of them. Sombra was the last in and closed the door behind them, activating the room's anti-eavesdropping enchantments.

"Princess Samore! You're here!" Thorax buzzed up to her and bowed. "Your highness, I'm so relieved you're alright!"

She looked momentarily surprised at the presence of one of her own, but she recovered quickly.

"Your concerns are noted, drone, but unwarranted. I will be returning soon to take my place as Queen of the Swarm, once this business here is concluded." She nodded to Twilight. "If you're finished commiserating with your companions, princess."

Twilight glared at her, but didn't respond directly.

"First of all, thank you for coming so quickly," she began. "I've noticed you've brought along some others too. Zecora, Strongheart, Gilda," she nodded to each of them in turn, "good to see you again."

"As it is you, Twilight. A pity the conditions could not be fair and right," returned Zecora.

"May the earth tremble at your coming, highness." Strongheart bared her neck in a gesture of respect. "I'm glad to be back by your side again."

"'Sup," nodded Gilda.

"And some new faces," added Twilight. "I'm surprised to see a dragon and a changeling here. Will you be joining us too?"

"Hi there, I'm Spike!" The dragon in question held out a claw to Ember. "Nice to meet another dragon. Your armour looks really cool!"

"Um… thanks." Ember took his claw uncertainly, her cheeks turning pink a bit. "I'm Ember. Princess Ember, don't forget that!"

"Oh right!" Spike gave her a gallant bow. "Sure thing, your highness."

"Good, that's more like it."

She folded her arms and turned away, though she glanced at Spike again when he went to stand with Twilight.

"H-Hello, princess." Thorax hovered up and bowed shakily. "M-My name's Thorax. I-I came to find the princess, our princess I mean, but I'm happy to help stop whatever is going on too. I-If my home is in trouble, I'll do what I can."

"I see." Twilight glanced around. When nopony offered any objection, she gestured for Thorax to rise. "Your offer is certainly appreciated, Thorax. Glad to have you with us."

Thorax looked up in surprise, but his face lit up in a grin. Samore watched closely and said nothing, though her eyes narrowed a little.

"Alright," Twilight began, "Spike and Sombra have already explained the situation to me about what happened in Ponyville. We've also received alerts from other kingdoms that unknown assailants, who we assume are associates of Fallen Soul have attacked and taken certain individuals away. Now that you're here, I'd like to hear it in more detail, so we know what we're dealing with."

"Whatever gives me the chance to get back at that Edge freak," said Gilda. "I gotta few bones to pick with him."

"Edge?" Twilight looked up in recognition. "As in Hard Edge? He's still alive? Rainbow, you said he sacrificed himself to help stop the Changeling army in Cloudsdale."

"He did. And that depends on how you define 'alive'," Rainbow answered sourly. "He's… different now. They did something to him. Dunno how, but he's like an actual, bona-fide cyborg now. When I saw him in Ponyville, I barely recognized him beneath all the metal covering him. Looked like he'd just walked off the set of some movie flick."

"Yeah, except he wasn't wearing a costume, and those blasters definitely weren't props," Gilda said, rubbing one of her claws uncomfortably.

Twilight frowned for a moment. "So you're sure it was Edge you were fighting?"

"Positive," Rainbow nodded. "There wasn't much left to look at outside the metal bits, but he had the same fur, same mane, same colour eye, even the same cutie mark. Not to mention he had a lot of the same flying moves. It was definitely him."

"I take it this 'Edge' is someone you're all familiar with?" Ember asked.

"Most of us, yeah," Spike said. "He was always a huge jerk, but he actually used to be a member of the Royal Guard before he turned traitor and started working with Fallen. Then he turned around and helped the changelings hit us during their attack."

"I…" Thorax immediately trailed off, and wilted when everyone turned their heads to him, but continued under their expectant gazes. "I-I actually remember him. From the… i-invasion." He bit the word out with an apologetic grimace. "I never spoke with him myself, but I saw him. N-none of my superiors liked him. I don't think it was just because he was a pony, either. He was very loud. And angry."

"Yeah, that definitely tracks," Applejack nodded humorlessly.

"He did have a change of heart in the very end though, for what it's worth," Rarity said. "It doesn't excuse everything he did prior to that point, but still."

"Except he didn't change, if he's still working with Fallen." Twilight's frown became even deeper as she lightly pounded his hoof against the table. "Unbelievable. After everything, for him to still side with that monster..!"

"Actually…" Rainbow spoke up, though she faltered for a moment afterwards. "I'm… not sure if he really is on Fallen's side."

She was met with a sudden wall of confused expressions.

"I'm… sorry?" Rarity managed.

"I mean, I don't think Edge is in control of himself anymore," she clarified. "When we were fighting him, and when I called him out, he… I dunno, hesitated. Stopped what he was doing and tried to talk. It didn't last long though. It was like he didn't want to fight, but couldn't stop himself. You saw it too, right G?"

"Not super sure what I saw, Dash," Gilda simply shrugged. "Was too busy trying to rip the guy's metal face off and not get fried."

Rainbow clearly wasn't happy with the lack of support, but trudged on. "Well, whatever. I know what I saw. I think Edge is still in there, somewhere, and it didn't look like he wanted to be involved in any of this."

"How remarkable," said Sombra. "I realise I've been away for some time, but I wasn't aware that Equestrian technology had reached such levels."

"This is Tube's work, I'm sure of it," Twilight heard herself growl.

She flushed when she registered what she'd said - or rather, the anger with which she'd said it - and even more so when her friends turned to her in surprise. Fortunately, Spike saved her from further embarrassment.

"Yeah, that makes sense," he said. "If Tube could build a pair of giant city-busting robots and remote-control them from who-knows-where, then turning one pony into a cyborg would probably be no problem for him."

"I have heard this 'Tube' mentioned before, with no small amount of ire," Zecora put in. "From your tones, his intelligence is something to fear, not admire."

"That's putting it mildly." Twilight took a moment to compose her thoughts and feelings before continuing. "Doctor Test Tube was a former scientist at the Canterlot Royal University, primarily known for his research into the theoretical potential of combining science and magic. However, most of his work was…" she frowned. "...ethically ambiguous, at best. His disregard for morals and life in general showed in the way he went about his experiments and wrote his scientific journals, very few of which ever got published."

"So what exactly is this pony's deal then?" Gilda questioned, crossing her forelegs. "He's some kind of scientist and he's crazy, is that it?"

"You say that as though that combination is not an immediate cause for concern," Rarity noted.

"Hey, just wondering if I need to worry about him shooting lasers outta his eyes when I get a chance to shove his face in the ground is all."

"Out of his eyes, probably not. Out of his creations though, it's very likely," Twilight answered seriously, thinking back to the attack on Canterlot as well as what they knew of Tube's previous involvement in attacks on Ponyville. "The pony himself may not be much of a threat if we can confront him, but getting to him will be the hard part. Tube has a history of keeping to the background and letting others do his dirty work for him. He's known for his expertise on magical and scientific theory, but I know he also has degrees in engineering, biology, and dimensional physics, both theoretical and established. That knowledge, plus whatever research he did on his own, is how he figured out a way to free Fallen from Tartarus in the first place."

"Hold a moment," Strongheart spoke, raising her hoof. "Are you referring to the same Tartarus as the one in myth? The realm of darkness and eternal imprisonment, watched over by the souls of the dead? And this doctor devised a means to free Fallen Soul from such a place?"

"He did. Test Tube was the original instigator behind all of this, which is why no one here should underestimate him or what he's capable of. He's hurt so many ponies, and all for…" Twilight grit her teeth and fell silent. Her friends around the table all had similar expressions of quiet anger and frustration on their features.

"Since we are already on the topic, we should discuss what we know of Fallen's other subordinates," Sombra finally said, slightly shifting the subject. "From the various testimonies of everyone here, we know that aside from Hard Edge and Test Tube, Fallen has six others in his employ. I believe the first is a female thestral, by the name of Selena?" He directed a questioning look at both Rarity and Ember, who both nodded in response.

The pair briefly recounted their encounters with her, both in the Badlands and in Ponyville. Rarity even brought up their initial encounter in Transylmania.

"Even back then, she was a harpy," the debutante said. "She used Spikey-wikey for her own benefit, and once she thought she had what she was looking for, tried to dispose of him."

"...Spikey-wikey?" Ember asked, giving Spike a puzzled look. The purple dragon flushed beet red from embarrassment.

"That's not important," he coughed. "But the situation was a bit more complicated than that, at least for her. Selena's… look, call me crazy, but I don't think she's actually that bad of a pony."

"Excuse me?" Ember glared directly at Spike, smoke trickling up out of her flaring nostrils. "You think you can say that, knowing what she's done?"

"Hey, I know, okay? Trust me, I do." Spike held up his claws defensively and shook his head. "But Selena… I didn't spend all that much time with her, but she's had a really rough life, I think. I guess… I don't think she's a bad pony, just… she's been forced to do bad things in order to survive."

Ember snorted. "Hmph. She seemed perfectly happy when she was helping to slit the throats of my kin."

Spike winced at the imagery and fell silent. Sensing a brewing tension, Sombra stepped in to cut it off and bring them back on topic.

"Is there anything else we should know about her?" he asked.

"There is, yes." Rarity frowned. "When she attacked me in Ponyville, she was… different, from when Spike and I first dealt with her in Transylmania. The same pony, but she was simply… stronger. Faster. Unreasonably so. She was quite capable during our first scuffle with her as well, but in Ponyville it was all I could do just to weather her assault. If Ember hadn't arrived when she did, I surely would have…"

"Tube mentioned something about that, during the attack," Spike said, his tone subdued. "He said he'd done something to improve her abilities. 'Unlocked her potential' or something like that."

"Huh…" Ember looked thoughtful. "Come to think of it, she mentioned a doctor back in the Badlands too. Probably the same one. If she's been turned into some kind of super-bat-pony, that would at least explain how she managed to fight two dragons at once without getting a single scratch."

"True, but she did take a few hits when you caught her off guard at my boutique." Rarity hummed. "And when I first fought her as well. Perhaps… I suspect Selena is more of a hunter than she is a fighter. She was able to catch both of us by surprise with her unusual strength and speed, but without that same element of surprise, she may not be as much of a threat."

"Though still certainly a threat, regardless. Anyone who faces her should keep her enhanced abilities in mind, and take care not to let her out of your sight. Now then," Sombra turned his gaze to Ember. "Princess Ember, you mentioned there were two other ponies present at the Badlands. Am I correct to assume that those were the masked pair of earth ponies we've identified as 'Snick' and 'Slash'?"

Even as Ember nodded, Pinkie excitedly leaned forward onto the table and raised a hoof into the air. "Oooh, oooh! I know them, the happy and sad masks! They showed up at the bakery and tried to cut me up like a cake! Zecora was there too!"

"Indeed," the zebra confirmed, "they descended upon my home and dealt me a mortal blow, before absconding with the Amulet in tow." She grimaced in remembrance. "Were it not for my many poultices and cures, I fear my death would have been all but assured. Quite fortunate I am, that they did not confirm their kill, else I never would have made it to Ponyville."

"Aw come on, don't think like that! You're still here, you're still kicking, and you're ready to kick them back for what they did! That's what's important," Pinkie asserted with a bright smile. Zecora managed to offer a light-hearted chuckle in return.

"Of course Pinkie Pie, you are right. Forgive my moment of gloom and blight."

"So Fallen has the Alicorn Amulet too? That's… certainly a sobering thought." Twilight took another shaky breath and composed herself. "Do we know anything else about the twins?" Both ponies shook their heads no, leading her to sigh. "Fantastic."

"Sorry," Pinkie apologised. "I'd have tried to take one of their masks off, but that seemed kinda rude. Them trying to stab me was also kinda rude, but that's no reason to be rude myself!"

"Right," deadpanned Twilight. "What about the two we encountered in Baltimare, like that Earth pony Osteo?"

"Sure was," Applejack muttered, rubbing her chest. "Wasn't exactly fun, if I'm bein' honest. I don't like sayin' that a pony ain't right in the head, but that feller likes fightin' jus' a bit too much."

"I express similar sentiments," Strongheart put in. "The stallion Osteo was one of those who attacked and killed several members of my tribe."

"And he's the one who tried ta put me through the wringer, back at the farm. I already said this, but thanks again fer showin' up when ya did, Strong. You an' Gilda both," Applejack said, smiling to Strongheart and the griffin in kind.

"I am happy to have helped," Strongheart returned warmly. Gilda simply nodded and smirked in acknowledgement.

"By all of your accounts," Sombra continued, "this stallion, Osteo, is exceptionally physically strong, even by earth pony standards. More concerning than that, however, is his apparent ability." His brow furrowed. "To be frank, I am still not entirely sure I understand it. You claim he can… control his own bones?"

Applejack exhaled noisily. "It sounds weird as all get-out when ya say it like that, but yeah. That's… really the only way I think I can explain it. Doesn't make a lick-a sense, I know."

She described how his bones seemed to creak and shift, growing bigger upon impact with something. Both Gilda and Strongheart backed her up on this.

"Curious…" Sombra scowled. "Very curious. It sounds like some form of magic, and yet not like any magic I've heard of. That's not even counting the fact that earth ponies shouldn't be able to use magic, not the way unicorns or even pegasi can."

"There are many forms of magic, it should be known, not all of which require wings or a horn," Zecora said sagely. Sombra nodded.

"Very true. Still, I can't imagine how an earth pony acquired such a strange ability…"

"Uh…" Applejack hesitated. "Actually, I jus' remembered somethin'. Not sure how important it is, but I wanted ta mention it, since we're all here."

"Any information about our enemies could be invaluable," Sombra said. "Whatever it is, please tell us."

"Right. Well, see, right before we started goin' at it, he said somethin' ta me that definitely set off some alarm bells. Between all the stuff about fightin' and life bein' a struggle, he said somethin' about the 'Way of the Beast'..."

Sombra frowned. "Hmmm… that rings something of a bell, but I cannot place it. Perhaps a question for Celestia upon her return, she may know more."

Dusk happened to glance at Twilight. Rage clouded her vision on the mention of Celestia's name, but it passed so quickly that he wasn't sure if he even saw it.

"Unfortunately, we're not done quite yet," Sombra went on. "There was the unicorn from Baltimare as well. Dusk, I believe you have the most experience with him."

"Ligne Grace," he said simply, speaking for the first time since the meeting had begun.

"An annoyingly formidable opponent," Doom spoke up as well, to the surprise of those who'd expected him to remain silent throughout the proceedings. "His toys are a hassle, to say nothing of the pony itself."

"Wait," Trixie looked up at the both of them, her eyes alight with recognition. "Did you say Ligne Grace? The puppet artist?"

"You know him?" Sombra asked, intrigued.

"Only by reputation. One thing you learn when you're a travelling performer is potential competition. Never actually met him in person, but I've heard about some of his shows from others. He's practically a ghost story in the showpony world," she said with a shiver. "They say that wherever he performs, some are so entranced by it that they want to join it forever."

Dusk frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Only that, if the stories are to be believed… not everypony who attends his shows leaves them when they're finished," she said grimly.

"That's… rather chilling," he admitted. "If nothing else, he's dedicated to his craft. Something… happened when we fought."

He told them about what Grace's body had done during their battle. That got more of a reaction from everyone present. Confused and bewildered looks were cast left and right, primarily by those who'd also seen Grace in Baltimare. To his side, he noticed Twilight's face scrunch up slightly in a thoughtful expression as Sombra spoke next.

"Are you certain that it was Grace himself you fought, then?" Sombra inquired. "This pony utilises puppets during combat. Who's to say he wasn't simply controlling a lookalike from the sidelines?"

"That's what I thought at first too," Dusk said, shaking his head. "But there was no sign of anyone else around us during our fight. And the Grace I fought spoke, too. I know that he's able to speak through his puppets, somehow, but…"

"Dusk is right," Doom spoke again, commanding everyone's attention once more. "The thing named Grace that I engaged in combat wasn't simply another puppet. It spoke, it yelled, and it reacted with far greater speed and precision that it could have if it were being pulled along by another's strings. It was alive."

Though Dusk was grateful for Doom supporting him, he wasn't quite sure how to say it. He settled for giving Doom a grateful nod when the latter met his eyes across the table, a gesture which was only returned with a derisive snort.

"So this guy doesn't just control a bunch of creepy puppets… he's somehow a creepy puppet himself? Like something out of a cheap horror movie?" Rainbow rapped a hoof against her head in confusion. "I don't… how would that even…?"

"A mystery for later. Now, there is one final member of Fallen's troupe we have yet to discuss," Sombra pressed onward. "Per accounts given, this member has been identified as a changeling. However, beyond that, we do not know the exact identity of-"

"Sting," Samore said, suddenly breaking her long silence. "Former Commander Sting, of the Swarm. That is the changeling's identity."

"...you've gotta be kidding me. THAT jerk again?" Rainbow baulked. Samore kept an even expression, simply bobbing her head in response.

"Well, shoot. I was hopin' we'd seen the last of that sourcube," Applejack grouched.

"I always wondered what had happened to him, after all the fighting," Thorax said as well. "Most changelings thought he'd died at some point during the conflict."

"You are positive of this, princess?" Sombra asked.

"Quite positive. I spoke with him on numerous occasions, whilst I was Fallen's prisoner. He was…" she hesitated for a brief moment, but composed herself. "When he inadvertently informed me of Fallen's intentions, I manipulated him to aid in my escape. I… confess, I used Lust in order to do so."

"I thought you said you refused to use Lust," Twilight reminded pointedly.

"Barring extenuating circumstances, princess, that is true. At the time, however, I had no other choice. I was a prisoner, kept under guard in an unknown location, with Fallen plotting to use Lust for some nefarious purpose. I had to escape, and there were no other options available for how to go about it." She put a hood to her head and winced. "Afterwards, I had to isolate myself in the wilderness for weeks while I waited out the… urges." She shivered. "All just to ensure I would be in control of myself when I entered a populated area. The entire experience was quite unpleasant."

Samore fell silent, turning away from the group at large in clear discomfort. Right then, Twilight felt a stab of pity for the changeling princess. It had only been for a brief moment, but she'd recognized the shameful expression on Samore's face before she'd turned away. It had been the same look of shame Ray had once had when he'd first had to tell them about Wrath… and when he'd told them the story of the traders he's travelled with. Looking around to her friends, she saw that they'd all noticed it as well.

"Princess?" came the tentative voice of Thorax. "I'm… I'm very sorry that you had to go through all of that. I wish I'd… done something sooner."

"Even if you had, what could you have accomplished alone?" Samore bit back harshly, before forcefully schooling her expression. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done."

Another terse moment of silence longer, and Sombra coughed again, once more getting their attention back on track. "Well. If we are to confirm the rogue changeling's identity, then that is something to work with. I gather that some of us have experience with this 'Commander Sting'?"

Rainbow reiterated her encounter with him at Cloudsdale, while Thorax added some other insight from his view as a changeling.

"Well, all I can really say is what I've heard about him. You know, from other changelings," he said, rubbing his hooves nervously. "They'd say that he was a brilliant tactician and battlefield commander, that he'd managed to climb the ranks extremely fast. But… they also said that something had happened to him when he was a hatchling. That his hatred for ponies was second to none. There were rumours that that was the real reason why he'd been promoted to Commander in the Swarm, not because of his leadership abilities." He suddenly froze and looked at Samore, and began stammering. "N-n-not that I b-believed those r-rumours! O-of course! I-I'm sure the late Q-Queen w-wouldn't have promoted someone b-based on… something like… that…"

He slowly trailed off as all of the ponies sitting at the table began donning sour looks, although none were aimed at him directly. Samore, for her part, didn't acknowledge Thorax's words, instead continuing to avert her gaze.

"I… see. Thank you, Thorax," Sombra said. "With all of that in mind, I think it's safe to say that Sting is also likely a capable combatant, though perhaps not so overtly threatening as Fallen's other subordinates. Even so, his innate ability to change his appearance will no doubt be problematic." He sighed again. "And with that… I believe we have covered all of them."

"An ex-Royal Guard cyborg, a mad scientist, a murderous bat-pony, a pair of ninjas, a bony jerk with a fighting fetish, a puppet pony puppet-master, and a former commander of the changeling army," Gilda rattled off, lifting a finger for each. She shrugged. "Welp, at least this fight won't be boring."

"G, if you thought this was gonna be boring, then where the hay have you been?" Dash retorted, punching Gilda's shoulder. The griffin smirked and returned the gesture.

"We know about them, at least. However, aside from that, we do have some good news. Firstly, is that they won't be able to teleport in unannounced like before," said Twilight.

"Twilight was able to discover a spell that prohibits unrecognised attempts at teleportation," explained Sombra. "I have used my crystals to amplify its power, at strategic points around both Canterlot and Ponyville. If they try again, they will only find themselves far outside the region's confines but others such as the princesses will still be able to return in the same way."

"Where are the other princesses anyway?" asked Ember. "I at least know of Celestia and Luna by name, but I've never heard of you."

"I'm… relatively new," admitted Twilight. "As for the princesses, well… they're um…"

"They are currently occupied with matters related to these attacks outside the city," answered Sombra. "However, Twilight has proven herself more than capable in their absence."

Ember quirked an eye ridge. "So they just took off and left someone new in charge? That's pretty stupid."

"Hey, nopony asked you!" snapped Trixie. "Twilight's what you've got and she's just as good as they are, so there!"

Twilight looked surprised at Trixie's defence of her. Ember was also taken aback and was about to argue back when Spike came around again.

"Hey it's okay, I get it. Twilight wasn't what you were expecting but trust me, she's got this covered."

"Well…" Ember glanced uncertainly between them and eventually nodded. "If this place is still standing, I guess so."

"Perhaps we had best get back on track," said Sombra. "Twilight, as you were."

"Th-Thank you." She looked a little thrown off by Ember and her comments but was able to collect herself. Dusk was tempted to say something, though he kept it to himself for the moment. "But aside from the protective measures, there's more news. We finally know where he's hiding. Or rather, we've been able to determine as closely as possible where he's hiding. Samore?"

The changeling nodded and stood. "Understand that when I escaped captivity, my intentions were to flee. I was not initially concerned with where I was, more so where I wanted to be. However, after considering those events, I can tell you that Fallen's hideout is located somewhere here."

She indicated an island, east across the Celestia Sea and south of Griffinstone. It was simply named Dragon's Lair. According to the illustration, it was home to a volcano and a legend bearing 'dragons be here.' Given what she'd told them, he could practically trace her path from there to finding Gilda and ending up in Baltimare, the first city on the way to Canterlot.

"That seems a little silly," said Pinkie. "Why would Fallen be hiding somewhere with a bunch of dragons? Oh no! Unless he's got a bunch of dragons on his side!"

"Your map is obviously outdated," put in Ember. "There were dragon nesting grounds there, but that was ages ago. The volcano became inactive and the land wasn't good for it anymore, so we migrated to the Badlands."

"Not to mention some map makers like to add a bit of colour to their work," said Sombra. "Sea monsters in the oceans, gigantic animals in the forests, that sort of thing. Not to say they don't exist, of course, but that dragon won't be in that exact spot if you went looking."

"The point is, we know where to find him now. According to Samore, the inside of the hideout was full of caves and tunnels which would place it either under or inside the volcano. The first thing we need to do is find out as much about the island as possible."

"I'm gonna go ahead and guess that means you're sending us off to the library," said Rainbow.

"Libraries, plural," corrected Twilight. "There are three within the immediate area: the one at the School for Gifted Unicorns, the one here in the Palace and the one in my old room at the School. Bonus points for anypony who wants to try the city library too, but regardless, we'll divide our efforts between them. Spike, you and Dusk will take my old room. I'll take our Ponyville friends to the School library. Sombra, you take everypony else to the Palace library."

"You're not seriously telling us to go and start reading a bunch of books," huffed Gilda. "We know where he is! Why don't we just round up a bunch of guards, go there, drag him out and give him what's coming to him?"

"That's probably where he's keeping Ray too!" Fluttershy looked desperately at Twilight. "You can't ask me to just leave him there when we know where to find him!"

"Fluttershy, I understand and I want to save him too. But we can't go in there blind. By Samore's account, the place is practically a maze inside. We need to at least get the lay of the land."

"Not to mention most of the guards are still recovering from the attack," added Spike. "Those giant robots hit us pretty hard."

"Giant robots?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Yer not serious."

"Oh yes we are," Trixie piped in. "Trixie blew one up with her fireworks and fantastic magical prowess. With a little help from Sombra, of course.

Sombra smiled. "You should have seen her. Her efforts were most valiant. I consider myself fortunate to have even been mentioned."

"Sombra, come on now." Her cheeks went a little red as her tone shifted from gloating to bashful. "Be serious, you did most of the work."

"I was. Your bravery was remarkable and your part in the battle should not be understated."

Trixie fell into embarrassed mutterings and blushing, though the grin on her face was evident.

"We were lucky to have both of you there," said Twilight. "And I feel even luckier, now that all of you are here. We'll give ourselves a couple of hours to see what we find and meet back here. From there, we can decide our next course of action. I know we've all been wrong-footed by Fallen, but now we can finally start to move against him. Together, we'll stop whatever he has planned and bring Ray home." She paused, casting her gaze over Strongheart, Gilda, and Ember. "We'll bring all of them home."

There was no loud cheer, but everypony seemed to find some renewed hope from her words. Sombra led Ember, Thorax, Doom, Trixie, Strongheart, and Zecora out. Samore stood from her chair.

"I shall return to my quarters now," she said brusquely. "I've done my part. I'm sure you're capable of handling the rest."

"Alright then." Twilight managed to hide her irritation. "I'll have some guards escort you back. Everypony else, could you wait outside for a moment please?"

Her eyes turned to Dusk, indicating in no uncertain terms that he should stay behind. Spike caught his eye on the way out with the others, trying his best to look encouraging.

The closing door behind them seemed to echo much louder than it should have. Dusk was opposite one side of the table, Twilight on the other. He did his best to hold her gaze, but found it flickering back to the map. She didn't give anything away in her face.

"When I asked you at the party if there was anything on your mind, you told me there wasn't and I believed you. I had a feeling there was more to it, but I trusted that you would come to me if it was something important." She looked away from him. "After all we've been through and faced together, after I asked you to marry me, I thought you knew you could trust me. I guess I was wrong."

"Twilight, I…" He felt shame and guilt, but he also felt anger beginning to rise. "I should have told you and I'm sorry but… but I thought it was for the best."

"What?" She whipped her head around. "How could you think that?! How could you think keeping information like this to yourself was for the best?!"

"Because it never seemed the right time!" he retorted. "Whenever I considered telling anypony, it was always in the wake of something else going on! I wasn't certain, it could have created unwarranted stress and panic during moments when we already had quite enough to be dealing with!"

"But we don't know that because you never told us! You never told me!" She glared at a portrait of her mentor. "As if I didn't have enough secrets being kept from me, now you're doing it too? We're meant to be getting married, Dusk! How can we do that if I don't feel like I can trust you?"

"Twilight…" He shook his head, fighting back tears. "You don't mean that. Please."

"I don't know. So much has happened in the past few hours, so much has changed so quickly that I…" She bowed her head, her back to him. "I just don't know…"

"Twilight, please. I-I made a mistake. It was an error in judgement and I'm sorry, but I didn't even know for certain myself. I just… I didn't want to burden you unnecessarily. Or anypony. Please. I… I never meant to hurt you. I n-never meant for any of this…"

She didn't say anything. Her eyes looked over her shoulder, but not for long and she didn't face him. When she finally did move, it wasn't towards him but the door.

"Let's… let's just focus on this for now. I think we both need some time to… well, process things." She took one more look at him. "I think it's for the best."

He wanted to say more. To beg and plead with her not to consider what she might be implying. To shout and yell at her for judging him too harshly. But more than anything, he wanted to hold her and kiss her, tell her that he'd be at her side, no matter what. Instead, what he said was:

"As you wish, Miss Sparkle."

Her eyes shimmered again. She left through the door. By the time Dusk followed suit, she was already leaving with the others. Spike placed a claw on Dusk's shoulder and gently led him away.

"For the record, bro," he said, "you're pretty much in a no-win situation. If you'd told them when you weren't certain, you'd have felt bad for getting them worked up. You don't tell them and then a surprise attack happens. Nopony could have seen this coming, even if you had said something."

"We still might not have been caught completely off-guard though," murmured Dusk.

Spike shrugged. "Well, we can't know one way or the other now. It's happened, we just gotta deal with it."

Dusk sighed. "I suppose so. I wish Twilight saw it that way."

"Don't take it too personally, Dusk. She's been through a lot today. Without Celestia or Luna around, she had to take charge. I mean, she did great but…" Spike looked back over his shoulder. "I don't think she feels the same way. The fact Celestia kept things from her which could have helped only makes it worse and having you do something similar is just icing on the cake."

"Oh Twilight…" Dusk's shame welled up again. "I should talk to her, see what I can do."

"Dude, you know as well as I do that's probably not the best idea right now," said Spike. "I think she needs a bit more time to come to terms with it all. Give her at least until we all meet up again, then see what happens."

"I suppose you're right. It's just… I don't like thinking of her, going through so much and feeling like I've contributed to it. We're supposed to be engaged and…" A dreaded question came to mind. "You… you don't think she'll call it off, do you?"

"Honestly? I don't think so. That's why it's probably best to give her some time to really process everything properly, so she doesn't make any choices or say anything she might regret. You know she is when she gets all worked up and stressed." Spike patted him again. "Just trust her, okay?"

"Alright then." Dusk took a few calming breaths. "Thank you, little brother."

"Anytime, you big worrywart."

"Hey, you there. Spike, wasn't it?"

They turned to see Ember approaching from behind, hands on her hips while she glanced about uncertainly.

"Oh, hey there, princess," he greeted. "You get separated from Sombra? I know this place can be pretty hard to find your way around."

"It is, yeah." She squinted about. "This place has so much colour in it. Feel like I need to be wearing sunglasses to try and filter it out. But that's not the only thing."

"How can we help, your highness?" asked Dusk.

"Not so much you, um…" She frowned at Dusk. "I want to say… Husk?"

"Dusk, your highness. Dusk Noir," he corrected.

"Eh, I got it close." She snapped her fingers. "Oh wait yeah, you're the one none of the others want to talk to right now."

Dusk blanched at this reminder, though Ember didn't seem to notice.

"Anyway, not really so much you but Spike." She folded her arms. "I want to know what a dragon is doing hanging around ponies. If we're going to be working together or whatever it is we're doing, I want to get a view from someone who isn't going to start randomly crying and hugging me."

"Oh right!" Spike looked surprised but happy. "Well, I'd be glad to help. Considering most of the dragons I've met haven't been, well, the nicest, it'll be nice to make real friends with one."

"Hey, don't go bandying around words like 'nice' with me. And this doesn't make us friends," she added quickly. "Dragons don't do friendship. You've been spending too much time with ponies if you don't know that."

"Yep, guilty as charged," he shrugged. "Alright then, consider me your pony cultural ambassador, princess. Any questions you've got? I'm your dragon."

"That'll do nicely," she nodded. "Alright then, Cultural Ambassador Spike, take me to your place of books and learning things."

"Yes, Princess Ember!" He gave her another gallant bow and looked sidelong at Dusk. "Hey look at me! I'm a royal assistant to two princesses now."

"Moving on up, little brother," he agreed. He looked to Ember. "May I speak my mind on something, princess?"

She looked confused. "Why are you asking me? Just say it. It's what dragons do."

"I was merely being polite, but very well." He looked fully at her. "I realise that you have your thoughts on the situation, but Twilight is doing her best to cope under difficult circumstances. Comments like the ones you were making aren't helpful to the situation."

"Hey, if she can't handle criticism then she shouldn't be a leader," retorted Ember.

"That may be so, but as you said yourself, Canterlot is still relatively intact and she's already taking a proactive stance to counter the attacks. You've done the same with seeking her out. That has to be worthy of some credit, at least."

"That's true, I suppose," she admitted. "Fine then, but if she has a problem, she can tell me herself and not get one of her friends to do it instead.

"She didn't 'get me' to do anything. I chose to do it," he replied. "In addition, I'm her fiancée and a prince-to-be. I would say that puts me in some kind of standing in that regard."

Ember shrugged. "If you say so. You ponies have a little more fire in you than I would have thought, I'll give you that."

"Uh excuse me?" Thorax stood awkwardly behind Ember, pawing at the ground. "C-Can I tag along too? I don't really know the others too and Dusk and I are already… well, not friends, y-you don't want that yet but uh… I'd just rather come along with you. If that's okay?"

"Of course, Thorax. If neither of you mind, that is," he added to the others.

Ember only shrugged but Spike approached with a smile.

"Sure yeah, the more the merrier." He held out a claw. "Nice to meet you, I'm Spike."

Once again, Thorax was taken aback by this friendly gesture.

"Uh, hi. I'm Thorax. I mean, you already knew that because Dusk just said my name but… that's my name. It's uh, Thorax. And I get that this doesn't make us friends," he added quickly when he shook Spike's claw. "Dusk a-already said."

"Well I can't speak for him, but I'm always happy to make a new friend. You seem really nice too, Thorax. A nice changeling and a nice dragon," he said brightly. "Things are already looking up!"

"Hey, what did I say about using words like 'nice?'" snapped Ember, her cheeks flushed.

"R-Really?" Thorax stared at Spike. "You'd… consider me a friend?"

"Well sure. I mean, we need to get to know each other first but I don't see why we wouldn't be. Now come on, we'd better get started with this research," he said.

Thorax's face broke out in a grin and he practically pranced after them. Ember looked uncertainly between them but kept whatever she had to say to herself.

Spike took them out of the main entrance. The signs of the attack were evident. Large, blocky imprints in the ground like footsteps left by something heavy. Chunks of debris and masonry scattering the area, noticeable cracks left in the Palace walls and towers. A few guards were still rushing this way and that, trying to put out fires, literally and metaphorically.

"Man, todays been rough," said Spike. "You should have been here, Dusk. This thing looked like something straight from Cybertron."

"At this moment, having an Autobot or two wouldn't go amiss," he replied.

"It's like when we attacked Canterlot." Thorax cringed as some passing guards watched him closely. "Looks like they think so too…"

"I think they're just a little on edge," said Dusk. "Don't worry, you're with us."

"Easy for you to say," murmured Thorax. "You're not the one they're looking at."

"Thorax, I…" Dusk went quiet for a moment. "I can't say I know what you're going through. But I do know how it feels, to feel like you've caused others hurt. You know Doom? The big pony with the black fur? He… well, he used to be my negative emotions made manifest."

Thorax looked up. "Really?"

"Mmhmm. He was created from them by Discord. He took over my body twice and… he hurt a lot of ponies. Including my friends, using me to do it until he was expelled from my mind. Yet despite that, he's surprised me. It was thanks to him I decided to try and speak with you. It doesn't make what he's done go away, but there's a chance things might improve. Even a small one."

"Yeah and I once grew into a thirty foot dragon because I got too greedy," added Spike. "When I grew up properly, ponies were afraid the same thing was happening." He grimaced briefly but managed a smile. "So don't worry, Thorax. You're not alone with feeling like that."

"And… you still have friends, even despite that?" asked Thorax, like he was afraid to know for certain.

In that moment, Dusk couldn't help but be reminded of himself, what felt like so long ago.

"We do. It took some work in areas, but we managed," answered Dusk. "Sombra was the same and so was Trixie. There is hope, Thorax. Give them time to see you for who you are and I can guarantee they'll want to be your friend too."

Thorax looked stunned. He looked around again at the aftermath, then back at them. Tentatively, but sincerely, he smiled.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Hold on, you're saying that ponies pulled you back from a greed-induced growth?" Ember looked baffled. "How did they manage that?"

"Why, what do dragons usually do?" asked Spike.

"We fight. A lot of young dragons end up experiencing one, usually when they first become teenagers. They either get it put in check and return to normal or we have to back off and let them get it out of their system on their own. In a couple of cases, they take off to go start their own hoards someplace else. I had my first one last year when I was fourteen.”

“Oh hey, I turned fourteen this year!” said Spike. “But my first was a couple of years ago.”

Ember nodded. “That sounds about right. What happened with you then?”

"Uh, none of that. What happened was… well…" Spike looked sheepish. "I was uh… I was reminded of how somepony I knew felt when I gave them something really special to me. I guess it helped me remember that… it's usually better to give than take."

Now, it was Ember's turn to stare in astonishment. She looked to Dusk, who nodded.

"All because you had friends…" she murmured. "Which one was it? Which pony?"

"Rarity. The one with the purple curled mane?" Dusk prompted.

"The one who fixed my armour." She touched the breastplate gingerly. "Wow. She… must really be something."

"Yeah, she is," nodded Spike. "She's a really great friend. All of them are."

"Just a friend?"

"Well…" Spike rubbed the back of his head. "I used to have a crush on her but I'm kind of over it now. It's fine though, I'd never want to lose her friendship."

"Oh. Right." Ember's smile brightened. "Good."

Dusk managed a smirk. "Why is that good?"

"No reason!" she said sharply, her cheeks flushing again. "C-Come on, let's get to this place already."

She stalked off ahead of them. She stopped and looked around, starting off in one direction then going down another.

"It's this way," said Dusk.

"I knew that! And stop doing that!" she added, pointing to his smile.

"Apologies, highness."

"What was that all about?" asked Spike, watching her and scratching his head.

Surprisingly, Dusk found himself looking towards Thorax. The changeling caught his eye, glanced at Ember, then moved his hoof in a 'so-so' gesture. Dusk tapped his nose and nodded, before resuming their path towards the library.

Comments

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Samore, is Twilight Sparkle going to have to smack a Changeling? Cuz she’ll do it! Probably not! xD

The villains get better and better with every appearance they make. I’m eager to see where the stories of Selena and Edge go.

The rift developing between Twilight and Dusk is hard to see, but it’s great storytelling. We obviously know they’re going to work it out eventually. I’m looking forward to seeing how they do, and probably cry a bit when they do. Thank goodness for Spike being the voice of reason. His character development in this series is top notch. Give Twilight her space. If anyone knows that, it’s Spike.

Thorax continues to be a joy to read as do the rest of these characters that are joining our main cast in this fight.

Also welcome back Zecora!